Up to 30 Conservative MPs could rebel in a Commons vote against David Cameron’s refusal to let child refugees in Europe into Britain.

To avoid a humiliating defeat, ministers are now reconsidering whether to offer sanctuary to thousands of unaccompanied children in camps on the Continent.

The Tory rebels have signalled they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs after his attempt to make Britain take 3,000 child refugees from the EU was blocked in a Commons vote on Monday with a majority of just 18.

Desperate: Syrian refugee children pictured at a camp in Turkey. Some 30 Conservative MPs couldnow rebel against David Cameron’s refusal to let child refugees in Europe into Britain

Tory rebels could switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs (pictured) after his attempt to make Britain take 3,000 child refugees from the EU was blocked in a Commons vote

His amendment, which does not specify an exact number, was backed by the Lords on Tuesday.

The 30 Tories will be supported by eight members of the Democratic Unionist Party who indicated they were likely to vote in favour of the proposals when they come before the Commons on May 9.

This would wipe out the Government’s working majority of 18 at a time when Downing Street is desperate to avoid contentious issues in the run up to the June referendum on the EU.

Share this article

Share

197 shares

In a full-page leader on Thursday, the Daily Mail said: ‘We believe that the plight of these unaccompanied children now in Europe – hundreds of them on our very doorstep in the Channel ports of France – has become so harrowing that we simply cannot turn our backs.’

It added that ‘strict checks must be made to establish that those granted asylum are genuine refugees and the age they claim to be’, but in the exceptional circumstances of the crisis ‘it would be wrong not to help such children’, who should be allowed a ‘one-off amnesty’.

Tory MP David Burrowes said yesterday he would ‘most likely’ support the proposal from Lord Dubs, 83, who came to Britain as a child fleeing the Nazis.

Calling for ‘more compassion’ for unaccompanied minors, he added: ‘I hope the Government can come forward with a way of making Lord Dubs’s amendment work. We need to… enable more children who are at risk of trafficking to come to this country.’

Ministers are reconsidering whether to offer sanctuary to thousands of unaccompanied children in camps on the Continent (pictured, child refugees at the Greek-Macedonian border)

Heidi Allen MP, one of his Tory colleagues who intends to vote in favour of the amendment, said: ‘The Government has been concerned by the pull factor this could create [attracting more migrants] but I’m urging them to look beyond this.’

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: ‘Our campaign to offer sanctuary to the most vulnerable refugee children in Europe is gathering momentum.

‘More backbench Tory MPs are hearing from constituents and approaching me to say they now support the campaign. The Government needs to listen and act.’

Mr Cameron is standing firm against the proposals, but insiders indicated No 10 is examining possible concessions, including allowing children into the UK if they have extended family here.

A Whitehall source said: ‘They know they are in trouble.’ The Government has argued that taking in children from Europe would encourage others to put their lives at risk with people traffickers and on perilous sea crossings.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said the campaign to offer sanctuary to the most vulnerable refugee children in Europe was 'gathering momentum'

Mr Cameron said this week that children who had made it to Europe were in ‘safe’ countries and did not need to come to the UK.

But Labour’s Yvette Cooper, a former leadership contender, argued that the thousands who were sleeping rough and vulnerable to sexual exploitation on the Continent were not safe.

No 10 said its position had been laid out in the Commons on Wednesday, when Mr Cameron said he would stick to the policy of taking refugees only from war-torn regions such as Syria.

Italy is to fingerprint and register migrants picked up by rescue boats in the Mediterranean. EU chiefs have warned the country to improve registration procedures to stem the flow into northern Europe.